Milking machine



March 4, 1952 D, F AYRES 2,587,680

MILKING MACHINE Filed April 10, 1947 IN VE N T 0/? DONALD E AYRES BY gmhsy ydfl A TTOR/VEYJ Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILKING MAciiiNE Donald F. Ayre s, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., assign or to TheDe Laval Separator Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 10, 1947, Serial No. 740,529

I p Claims. 1

This invention relates to milking machines and has particular reference to a machine of this type having a hollow base of novel construction which supports the vacuum pump of the milker system and also provides a series of compartments arranged to form integral parts of the inlet conneetion to, and the outlet connection from, the

vacuum pump.

One object of the present invention reside in the provision of a milking machine in which the vacuum pump is mounted on a hollow base defining a sani-trap chamber for the milker vacuum line and also defining a separate oil chamber, the chambers being interconnected through the pump and a cover for the hollow base.

Another object is to provide a milking machine of the character described,- in which the sanitrap chamber extends downwardly from the base cover and under the oil chamber or reservoir, whereby the base may be made in a compact form while providing ample space for the sani-trap and reservoir.

7 A further object is to provide a milking machine of the character described, in which the bottom of the oil reservoir slopes downwardly to an oil gauge mounted on the outside of the base, the gauge serving as a means for filling or empty ing the oil reservoir and also for determining the oil level therein.

Still another object is to provide a milking machine in which the vacuum pump is mounted on a hollow base having two serially connected chambers, one of which constitutes an oil reservoir connected to the pump outlet through the base cover, and the other of which forms a muffler for the air exhaust from the reservoir.

An additional object is to provide a milking machine of the character described, in which the hollow base for the vacuum pump is partitioned internally to form three separate chambers, namely, a *sani-trap in the milker vacuum line, an oil reservoir communicating with the pump outlet, and a muffler chamber for exhausting the air from the reservoir.

These and other objects of the invention may be' better 'understood by reference to the accompanying' drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a, perspective view of a portable milking machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the vacuum pump, showing the pump inlet and outlet and also a passage for supplying oil to the pump;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of the hollow base, showing the oil gauge;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the hollow base;

5 is a erspective view of the with the cover removed, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cover.

eferring to the drawing, the milking machine hollow base,

2 comprises a hollow base I0 having wheels I I mounted on an axle secured to the base. The base It is of a box-like construction having a rectangular bottom andopposing side and end walls, each of which maybe a metal plate welded or otherwise connected to the adjoining plates to form an air-tight structure. The top of the box is closed by a movable cover l3 which is secured in position in any suitable manner, a gasket l3a being preferably interposed between the cover and the side walls to make the base air-tight.

Mounted on top of the cover I3 is a motor it, which may be an electric motor energized through a flexible cable 15. A vacuum pump 16 is also mounted on top of the cover 13 and is driven from the motor by a belt H. The vacuum pump l6 (Fig. 2) is of the type in which the inlet Ilia and the outlet 6b are located at the bottom of the pump hou iing, a pump of this type being disclosed in a 00- e ding application of c. H. Hapgood, Ser. No. 597,074, filed June 1, 1945, how Patent No. 2,463,871. The pump housing has a generally vertical pipe 16c extending downward from the vicinity of the bearin at one end oi the rotor shaft [6d, and a tube 166 extends from the lower end of the oil pipe I60 through an opening Hie in the cover l3, as will be described in detail presently.

Within the honow base It is a vertical, longitudinal partition me parallel to the side Walls. A generally horizontal partition 1 [lb extends from the partition Illa to the more remote 0f the two side walls. The partition lob i'sIocated intermediate the top and bdttdih of the base and is connected at one end to one of the end wane of the base. At itS' dthi end, the partition [9b terminates short of the opposite end wall of the base and J'Oii'ls a Yeitidal partition IUC extending to the top of the base, the eiids of the partition 10c joining the vertieaipartition Illa and the side wall to which the partition 10b is connected. The vertical partitions Illa and I00 are provided at the top with extehsions of the gasket l3a. A130, the metal-to-metal joints at the edges of i the artitions are made air-tight.

The vertical partitions mo and me and the partition Illb partly define a chamber Hld which serves as an oilreservcii', the bottom lllb of which is slightly inclined so that the oil will tend to drain down toward an opening me in the adjacent end wall. The oil tube [6e extends down into the oil reservoir lUd through the cover opening I3e, while the outlet I 6b of the pump leads down into the oil reservoir through opening I302 in the cover.

v The generally horizontal partition [0b divides the oil reservoir Inc from a chamber Inf in the lower part of the base. The latter chamber serves a semi-trap," as will be described in greater detail presently. and communicates with 3 the pump inlet I6a through opening I3c in the cover. v v

The vertical partition Illa forms one wall of a chamber Ilig located on the opposite side of this partition from chambers "Id and chamber IIlg serves as an exhaust or mufller and communicates with the oil reservoir Ind through an elbow I3b on the cover I3. Air in the muflier IIlg is exhausted from the base through a downwardly directed pipe IIIh.

The opening 'IIle from the oil reservoir IIld leads to an oil gauge I9 having at its upper end a removable cap I9a provided with a stem I911 extending down into the interior of the gauge, whereby the oil level in the reservoir may be readily determined by removing the cap. Also, by removing the cap I9a, the supply of oil in the reservoir Illd may be replenished through the gauge. A removable cap I90 is mounted on the lower end of the gauge, and by removing this cap the oil may be drained from the reservoir.

A vacuum regulator 20, whch may be of any conventional form, is mounted on the cover I3 and communicates with the sani-trap I01 through an opening I3 in the cover. Th regulator operates automatically to admit air through cover opening l3f, if the sub-atmospheric pressure in the sani-trap It) should become too low due to withdrawal of air by the vacuum pump through cover opening I30.

A handle 22 is connected to the base Ill and is used by the operator in moving the portable milker from one location to another. The handle 22 is hollow and is preferably grade from metal piping. As shown, the handle is U-shaped I.

and is connected at its ends to the base, one end being connected through an elbow 23 which is welded or otherwise secured over an opening Hit in one side wall of the base.

level thereof and communicates with the inlet I6a of the pump through the cover opening I3c. The other end (not shown) of the handle 22 is connected to the opposite side wall of the base but is closed from the interior of the base.

A connecting device in the form of a stall cook 24 is mounted on the transverse portion of the handle 22 so as to communicate with the interior of the handle, the device 24 being preferably of the type disclosed in Scott Patent No. 2,251,071 dated July 29, 1941. The flexible hose 25 of the milker unit, when applied to the nipple 24a of the stall cock, is connected to the pump inlet I6a through handle 22, sani-trap I0) and. cover opening I30, whereby the milker unit is vacuum operated in the usual manner. p

A platform 26 is hinged to the legs of the handle 22, the free end 26a of the platform being curved downwardly so that when the free-end is lowered it will rest upon the cover I3 of the base. In its lowered position, the platform 26 serves as a support for the milker unit. A leg 21 is secured to the bottom of the base II] at the end thereof adjacent the handle 22 and serves to support the base when it is stationary. The handle 22 may be provided with a hook 28 for holding a strip cup 29. I

In operation, air withdrawn from the milker unit through stall cock 24 passes down through the hollow handle 22 and .the elbow 23 into the sani-trap IUf, where dust and other particles in the air will settle to thebottom. The air will then fiow up through cover openin [3c to the pumpinlet Ilia, the compressed air being exhausted from the pump through outlet I61) from The opening I01- leads into the sani-trap I01 above the bottom which it flows down through cover opening I3d into the oil reservoir IIId. There, a separation of oil from the air occurs, the air then passing through elbow I3b into the muffler IIlg from which it is exhausted through pipe Illh. During operation of the pump I6, its rotor assembly is constantly supplied with oil from tube IGe, the lower end of which is below the oil level in reservoir IIld. Since the pressure in the rotor chamber at the end of pipe I60 is lower than that in the reservoir chamber IOd, oil will be forced up through tube I6e and pipe IBc to the rotor chamher where it serves as a lubricating and sealing medium, the oil returning to the reservoir through pump outlet I6b.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the base ID, in addition to supporting the vacuum pump and its motor, provides a sizable compartment Illf for trapping solid particles in the milker vacuum line, before they can reach the pump, and also provides an oil reservoir and an exhaust mufiier for the pump. At the same time, the base II] is in a compact form which can be easily transported if desired. Access to the interior of the base may be obtained easily by removing the cover I3, which forms the connections between the pump and the chambers I01 and IM and also the connection between the latter chamber and the mufller.

While I have illustrated the invention in the form of a portable milking machine, it may also lice used in milking machines of the stationary It is to be understood that the construction by which the hollow handle 22 constitutes an integral part of the vacuum line from the pump to the milker unit through hose 25, forms no part of the present invention, such a construction being disclosed and claimed in a co-pending application of Arnold I. Terpening, Serial No. 740,620, filed April 10, 1947, now Patent No. 2,482,602.

I claim:

1. In a milking machine, a hollow base having a top and a bottom, a vacuum pump mounted on said top and having an air inlet and an air outlet, a generally horizontal partition in the base disposed intermediate the top and the bottom thereof and dividing at least part of the interior of the base into upper and lower chambers, the lower chamber being connected to said inlet and forming a trap to collect particles in the air passing to said inlet, the upper chamber being connected to said outlet and forming an oil reservoir, the base having an air exhaust opening communicating with said upper chamher, and a milker vacuum line connected to the base and opening into said lower chamber.

2. A milking machine as defined in claim 1, in which the base contains a partition partly defining a third chamber forming a mufller between said second chamber and said air exhaust opening.

3. A milking machine as defined in claim 1, in which the base has an oil opening communicating with said upper chamber, said generally horizontal partition sloping downward to said oil opening.

4. An assembly for milking machines, which comprises a hollow base having a top, a generally horizontal partition in the base forming the bottom of an oil chamber and the top of a sani-trap chamber in the base, a generally vertical partition extending upwardly to the top of the base from a free edge of the first partition and partly defining a vertical extension of the sani-trap chamber, there being an air inlet in the base opening into the sani-trap chamber above the bottom thereof, the top of the base having an air outlet opening from the sani-trap chamber and an air inlet opening to the oil chamber, a second generally. vertical partition forming a wall of said chambers and extending from the top of the base to the bottom of the base, there being a muiller chamber in the base on the side of said last partition opposite the first two chambers, the base having an air exhaust opening from the mufiler chamher, and a duct leading from the upper part of the oil chamber to said mufller chamber.

5. An assembly for milking machines, which comprises a hollow base having a top and a bottom, a generally horizontal partition in the base forming the bottom of an oil chamber and the top of a sani-trap chamber within the r base, the top of the base having an air outlet opening from the sani-trap chamber and an air inlet opening to the oil chamber, the base also having an air inlet opening into the sani-trap chamber above the bottom thereof and adapted DONALD F. AYRES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,261,358 Cagnino Apr. 2, 1918 1,329,281 Zingsheim Jan. 27, 1920 1,591,522 French July 6, 1926 1,856,826 Bennett May 3, 1932 2,251,071 Scott July 29, 1941 2,314,438 Banning et al 'Mar. 23, 1943 2,463,871 Hapgood Mar. 8, 1949 2,482,602 Terpening Sept. 20, 1949 

